Hydraulic drive systems such as those associated with hydraulic fluid power systems represent quasi-hydrostatic drive systems that use pressurized hydraulic fluid to power hydraulic machinery. Hydraulic fluid used in these systems requires ongoing filtration and cooling to ensure proper operations of the hydraulic machinery. A filtering device for filtering the hydraulic fluid typically includes a chamber with through-openings for the to-be-filtered hydraulic fluid to flow into the chamber and for the filtered hydraulic fluid to flow out of the chamber, along with a filter element for filtering the hydraulic fluid. As an existing filter element continues to filter the hydraulic fluid, the filter element can get clogged and degraded resulting in reduced efficiency of the hydraulic drive system due to increased resistance to fluid flow offered by the clogged filter element.
Opportunities exist for providing a filtering device for filtering hydraulic fluids that selectively overcomes the inefficiencies associated with a degrading or degraded filter element in a cost-effective manner.